Khaled Takreti

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Khaled Takreti (Syrian-French, b. 1964) possesses a hallmark Pop aesthetic that has gone on to influence a new generation of contemporary Arab painters. He is recognised for his innovative approach to portraiture, which merges personal narratives with explorations of the social image. More recently, his work abandons colour and uses a monochromatic approach to reflect on the Syrian War. Born in Beirut, he graduated from the Architecture and Painting Academy at Damascus University after which he worked as an architect in Damascus’ General Directorate of Antiquity and Museums. In 1992, he moved to New York to develop his artistic practice. It was in New York, in 1995, that he developed his technique, influenced by his exchanges with artists from across the Atlantic. This is also when he began publicly exhibiting his work. Years later, he settled in Paris: “I don’t consider myself an artist from a specific geography,” says Khaled Takreti. “Rather, I claim the times in which I live.” Based in France since 2006, Takreti has exhibited internationally in solo and group shows. In 2012, Takreti was named among the top 101 greatest living artists in France by Art Absolument. He has also been featured in the Alexandria Biennale and the Art Hong Kong Expo. His works are housed in the Syrian National Museum, the Jordanian National Gallery of Fine Arts, and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, among other private and public collections. His recent solo shows include: Ayyam Gallery - Beirut (2014, 2010); Ayyam Gallery - London (2013); Ayyam Gallery - Dubai (2015, 2012, 2010); Ayyam Gallery - Damascus (2009). Other venues where his work has been shown include: Musée de la Palmeraie, Marrakech (2014); the Gwangju Museum of Art, South Korea (2014); Institut des Cultures d’Islam, Paris (2014); Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha (2011); and Villa Emerige, Paris (2011).